Produced annually by the Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook has long been a valued source of information for the government. Brassey's is once again making it available to the general public. This highly acclaimed volume contains important CIA data on every country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, including recent international disputes, natural resources, environment, population, inflation rate, GDP, agriculture, industries, defense expenditures, national holidays, literacy rate, religion, legal system, and labor force. Every entry includes a map. Key data is grouped under geography, people, government, economy, communications, and defense forces.

The World Factbook also contains handy appendixes on the United Nations system and country membership in international organizations.